Conrad kohler



C. KOHLER. DEVICE FOR RECOOLINGIHE COOLING WATER 0F STEAM CONDENSING PLANTS 0N VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-29.1919.

I Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

CONRAD KOHLER, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR RECOOLING THE COOLING-WATER 0F STEAM-CONDENSING PLANTS 0N VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed September 29, 1919. Serial No. 327,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD KOHLER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Recooling the Cooling-Water of Steam-Condensing Plants on Vehicles; and I do'hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for recooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles by means of an air current led through a cooling channel which is arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said air current being conducted transversely to the jets into which the water to be cooled is divided or distributed.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind referred to in which the bottom of the cooling channel has the shape of a funnel or hopper contracted toward its lower end and in which a collecting tank for the cooled water is arranged beneath the discharge opening of said bottom. .The collecting tank has thereby a much smaller floor surface than the cooling channel in order to prevent the inlet of the suction pipe of a cooling waterpump at the collecting tank being eft bare owing to the swinglng of the water in the tank due to an acceleration or retardation of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind referred to in which the horizontal cross-sections of vthe collecting tank for the cooled water are so little above the water-level present during normal working, that when the cooling water pump is not working, the water-level in the tank is above the inlet of the pump, so that the latter does not have to be filled up when it is restarted.

Advantageously, a floating device can be provided in connection with the collecting tank and the latter may be provided in its lower portion with an aperture normally closed by a suitable member, so that additional water can flow from a reservoir into said tank upon an actuation of said closing member by the floating device when the water-level'is too low.

A further object of the invention is to provide a' device of the above mentioned kind comprising a distributer for the water to be cooled closed at its top and provided wlth a great number of downwardly directed openings and permanently kept full with water for the purpose of securing an equal distribution of the water over the whole cooling zone independently of the position of the vehicle and the speed variations imparted to it. Said distributer may be composed chiefly of a plurality of parallel tubes the ends of which communicate with at least one common chamber.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for re-cooling the cooling water on vehicles in which the bottom of the cooling channel is arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and is closed laterally round about, has a slightly curved portion sloping upward toward the rear, so that the consumed cooling air is deflected above the cars which follow the re-cooling device and the water entrained by the air is caught up and reconveyed to the collecting tank by said slightly curved portion of the bottom.

This invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating by way of example several modes of, carrying out of the invention. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a steam driven locomotive provided with a condensing plant to which the improved device is fitted;

Fig. 2 is vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the air channel, the distributer for the water to be cooled and the collecting tank for the cooled water of the novel device and through the vehicle on which said parts of the device are arranged.

Fig. 3 illustrates in a vertical longitudinal section of another construction of the distributer for the water to be cooled, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawing, nearly all parts of the device for re-cooling the cooling water of the steam condensing plant of the steam locomotive are arranged on a special vehicle assumed to run immediately behind the steam locomotive.

The traveling direction of this special vehicle, and consequently of the locomotive, is indicated by the arrow I (Fig. 2), 2'. e. the vehicle moves from left to right, so that a current of air (direction of arrow II in Fig. 2) is produced in the cooling channel of the re-cooling device.

The water to be cooled is forced by a pump 8 (Fig. 1) from the condenser 9 of the condensing plant of. the steam locomotive 10 through a pipe 1 into a distributer 3 arranged above the cooling channel 2, the bottom of which has the shape of a funnel contracted toward its lower end. The distributer 3 consists in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 of a tank closed at its top and provided inits bottom 5 with a great number of. downwardly directed openings 4. The different parts of the device are designed so that the closed tank 3 is permanently kept full with water. The water contained in the tank 3 is discharged through the openings 4 and freely falls downward in the form of small jets passing transversely through the current of air led through the cooling channel 2. Said downwardly falling jets of water have the effect to increase the resistance which the current of air passing through the channel 2 has to overcome so that the relative velocity of said air can not assume a too high value. In consequence of this, the air passing through the channel 2 is prevented from entraining too much water with it. On the other hand, it has also to be seen that the current of air issuing from the cooling channel 2 is deflected above the cars which follow and that said air is freed at the same time from the water which it entrains. To this end the rear portion 11 of the bottom of the channel 2 is slightly curved so that it slopes upward behind the cooling zone proper. The cooling air which streams rearward relatively to the channel 2, is deflected by said portion 11 of the bottom from the horizontal direction into an upward sloping direction. Owing to the fact that the water constituting the heavier portion of the mixture of water and air has a greater inertia than the air, the particles of water move in the main in a horizontal direction. In consequence of this, they separate from the air and flow along the portion 11 toward the discharge opening 12 provided in the bottom of the channel 2 so that no cooling water is lost, while the resistance which the current of cooling air has to overcome is not increased to any amount worth mentioning by said slightly curved portion 11 of the bottom.

The cooled water is collected beneath the cooling channel 2 in a tank 6 of a relatively small capacity. The horizontal cross-secconnecting the tank 6 withthe suction pipe 8 of the cooling water pump 8 so that any rupture of the column of water in the suction pipe 8 is prevented, which is not the case in similar arrangen'ients hitherto proposed. Above the'normal water-level, the horizontal cross-sections of the collecting tank 6 are so small that when the cooling water pump 8 is not working the water-level in the tank 6 is still above the inlet of the pump 8. In the lower portion of the collecting tank 6 is provided an aperture 13 which is normally closed by a flap valve 14. When the water-level fallsowing to evaporation and other losses of watera little below a certain predetermined level, the floating device 15 opens the flap valve 14; additional water then flows from a reservoir 16 into the collecting tank 6 until the former water-level is restored, whereupon the flap valve 14 is again closed.

Compared with the devices for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles hitherto known, the hereinbefore described device presents the advantage that it takes up a comparatively small space. Owing to the fact that the distributer 3 is permanently kept full with water, the further advantage is attained that the water to be cooled is distributed equally over the whole cooling zone independently of the position of the vehicle and the speed variations imparted to it. As the distributer 3 is closed at the top, the water contained in it can be subjected to a pressure above atmospheric so that the velocity of the water discharged through the openings 4: is relatively great, which has the effect to improve the interchange of heat occurring within the channel 2, since said interchange is greatly improved when the relative velocity between water and air is great.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the water to be cooled is forced by a pump not shown through the pipes 1 into a system of parallel distributing pipes 3. These pipes 3 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and as near as possible to one another. They constitute a plurality of pressure spaces from which the water to be cooled issues through openings 4 and then falls downward in the form of small jets transversely through the current of air which is led through the channel 2.

I wish to he understood that the device hereinbefore described can not only be applied to locomotives but also to other vehicles provided with a steam condensing plant, and that the special kind of cooling channel of the device described can even be used in connection with vehicles which are not driven by steam-power engines but by gas-power engines also requiring for their working cooling water.

lVhat I claim now as my invention is:

1. A device for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a cooling. channel jarranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the bottom of which is provided with a discharge opening and has the shape of a funnel contracted toward its lower end, means for distributing the water to be cooled of the steam condensing plant into jets passing transversely through the current of air led through said cooling channel, acollecting tank arranged beneath the discharge opening of the bottom of the cooling channel, and a pump for forcing the cooled water from said collecting tank into the steam condensing plant and the heated water from said plant into said distributing means, said collecting tank having a much smaller floor surface than the cooling channel to prevent the inlet of the suction pipe of the pump a the collecting tank being left bare upon swinging of the water in the tank caused by variations of the speed of the vehicle.

2. A device for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a cooling channel arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the bottom of which is provided with a discharge opening and has the shape of a funnel contracted toward its lower end, means for distributing the water to be cooled of the steam condensing plant into jets passing transversely through the current of air led through said cooling channel, a pump, the pressure side of which is connected to said distributing means for the cooling water, and a collecting tank for the cooled water arranged beneath the discharge opening of the-bottom of the cooling channel and connected to the suction side of said pump, the horizontal cross sections of the collecting tank being so little above the water-level present during normal working that when the cooling water pump is not working, the water-level in the tank is above the inlet of said pump.

3. A device for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a cooling channel arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the bottom of which is provided with a discharge opening and has the shape of a funnel contracted toward its lower end;

means for distributing the water to be cooled of the steam condensing plant into ets passing transversely through the current of air led through said cooling channel, a collecting tank arranged beneath said discharge opening and provided in its lower portion with an aperture, a float arranged latter is opened, so that additional water is delivered to said tank, and a pump for forcing the cooled Water from said collecting tank into the steam condensing plant and the heated water from said plant into said distributing means, said collecting tank having a much smaller floor surface than the cooling channel in order to prevent the inlet of the suction pipe of the pump at the collecting tank being left bare upon a swinging of the Water in the tank caused by variations of the speed of the vehicle.

4. A device for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a cooling channel arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the bottom' of which is provided with a discharge opening, a closed distributer for the water to be' cooled provided with a great number of downwardly directed openings through which the water is discharged in jets passing transversely through the current of air led through said cooling channel, a collecting tank for the cooled water arranged beneath said discharge opening, and means adapted to force such a quantity of cooling water from the collecting tank into the steam condensing plant and from the latter back into said distributer that the latter is kept permanently filled with water, whereby an equal distribution of the water over the whole cooling zone is secured independently of the positions of the vehicle and the speed variations imparted to it.

5. A device for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plants on vehicles, comprising a cooling channel arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the bottom of which is provided with a discharge opening, a distributer comprising a plurality of parallel pipes provided with a great number of downwardly directed openings and further comprising a chamber with which communicate the ends of said pipes, said distributer being so arranged with regard to the cooling channel that the water issuing through the openings of said pipes falls in the form of small jets transversely through the current of air led through the cooling channel, a collecting tank for the cooled water arranged beneath said discharge opening of the cooling channel, and means adapted to force such a quantity of cooling water from the collecting tank into the steam condensing plant and from the latter back into said distributer that all pipes of the latter are kept permanently filled with Water, whereby an equal distribution of the water over the Whole cooling zone is secured independently of the positions of the vehicle and the speed' variations imparted to it.

6. A device for re-cooling the cooling water on vehicles, comprising a cooling channel arranged in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and closed laterally round about and provided with a bottom which has a discharge openingand which is slightly curved at the rear so as to slope upward, means for distributing the water to be cooled into jets falling transversely through the current of air led through the-cooling channel, a collecting tank forthe cooled water arranged beneath said discharge opening, said slightly curved channel portion. sloping upward deilecting the consumed cooling air above the In testimony that I claim the foregoing 2-5 as my invention, I have Signed In name.

CONRAD K HLER. Witnesses:

A NoLD LEHNER, JEAN SGHAAD. 

